Tag: oysters

This week we have oysters and clams for our Meat/Full customers – if you don’t want the oysters/clams and have NOT opted out – please send me an email as soon as you can. Otherwise you will get them. This is especially important for our home delivered members as we will not be able to swap them out. If you are having them home delivered, PLEASE make sure you have a cooler with ice pack for them to keep them fresh as we can’t guarantee their freshness once they leave our icy coolers. Thank you!

For those of you interested in cooking at home with your kids, or learning a few super easy delicious vegan dishes for yourself, the Sarno Bros. Wicked Healthy Food have made their Wicked Healthy Kids online cooking classes free. I love these guys – and what they are doing for plant-based meals. You will probably see a lot of their recipes here bc they are really innovative and make vegan cooking fun and exciting.

Here is the preview menu of what we think will be in the share for 5/6+7. Remember the menu may change between now and when you actually receive it due to weather, product availability. We will try to let you know any major changes by email, and also post on our Facebook page, Facebook group, and on Instagram. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns!

Garlic Scapes* – Garlic scapes are the tender stem and flower bud of a hardneck garlic plant and will probably have a curly coil to them. Use them just as you would garlic — so they are perfect for stirfries, pesto, and marinades. Here is a guide to them.

Bombolini Pasta*- Richmond. Fresh pasta cooks in a flash – usually 2 minutes or less – so follow directions carefully and err on the short side of timing. Do not multi-task or walk away from pasta cooking or you will overcook it and be sad. Try this Mushroom. Garlic, Pasta Recipe.

Bok Choy -Otherwise known as Chinese white cabbage is a staple ingredient in Asian dishes. The tender dark green leaves and crisp off-white-colored stalks provide a nice fresh crunch. The greens have a spinach-like taste with a very mild bitterness. I like to add them to my veggie kimchi, or I like to roast them. Roasted Bok Choy or try bok choy in vinegar oyster sauce; or vegan pho with bok choy and mushrooms and garlic why not!

Salted Virginia Peanuts – Virginia Peanut Company, Franklin, VA – oh these are so ridiculously addicting….I am not even going to give you recipes bc you are going to eat them out of the can. If you have a peanut allergy, let me know so I can sub you out.

Chamomile – this is always one of our faves. You can make cake, ice cream, syrup, tea…and more.

OYSTERS + CLAMS

Rappahanock oysters and clams – Topping, VA Check our facebook group for the video I made on how to open them, but please wear gloves. Here are some recipe suggestions Grill them, Oven roast or try one of these . Clams – Here’s how to roast, grill, steam and chowder them. Your oysters will be in a lightly tied plastic bag — when you get home, open the bag a little more so they can breathe, and put them in a cool part of your fridge. Please use your clams quickly as they are fragile. It is also good to use your oysters as soon as possible for best fresh flavor, as they are hardier, they will be ok in your fridge for a few days if you don’t get to them. When you are ready to prepare your shellfish – look them over carefully and discard any that may be open.

ALT MEATS for those of you who opted out of the oysters/clams. If you have not done this, let me know ASAP, otherwise you will get oysters.

Trout Filets – Virginia Trout Company Monterey, VA – – so delicious and cook quickly. I usually just panfry with butter (or olive oil) and season with salt and pepper, or you can roll in cornmeal. easy!

BREAD

Billy Bread – Rustic Sourdough — This is the famous Billy Bread! Don’t distress if it starts to get hard before you can eat it all, although it is easy to eat it all at once – it is so delicious. Here are some ways to revive and use leftover sourdough bread.

DAIRY

Cheese -chevre – Goats R Us, Blackstone, VA – Robin and John have been with us as farmers for many years and we love their delicious creamy cheese. It freezes well if you aren’t going to eat it right away. Here are some ways to get you started with your goat cheese.

TOFU —Twin Oaks, Louisa, VA. As so many of you are getting the incredible Twin Oaks tofu (available here – best tofu ever! ), I’ve decided to add in a tofu recipe. Here is an easy roast tofu with veggies. And there are a lot of recipes on the Twin Oaks site

Strawberries – I posted info on how to freeze them to use later in the season in smoothies. You can also make fruit leather, dehydrate for snacks, or jam. Here is the boss small batch strawberry balsamic jam recipe I posted in the group that I made for Mother’s Day gifts last year. I cooked it in the slow cooker. this makes only 4 half pints, so refridgerate, eat on the biscuits, or give away. No need to process. But if you want to process, I used a saucepan, and a veggie steamer and it worked great. I used this on baked brie at mom’s for Easter.

Ramps or rhubarb – not sure yet

if Ramps: Treat them like you would garlic or onions, only better, and you’ll be ok. Here’s a great video on how to find, clean and pickle them. They are forest foraged, so still have soil on them. Clean them well, dirt can hide in them, like leeks. Use the leaves to make pesto, or chimmichurri – this recipe puts it on grilled polenta. If you aren’t going to get to them for a bit, cut off your leaves – use those quickly, and keep the bottoms in a bag in your fridge. I have actually had them stay in the fridge for a month or so. They are great in biscuits. Put on pizza.

Arugula – good on pizza with the ramps. add it to asparagus soup, Make strawberry arugula salad. .

Swiss chard – Swiss chard is delicious, versatile, and don’t forget to pickle the stems. It is hearty enough to stand in for pasta, say in a lasagna. The stems take longer to cook than leaves, so I usually put stems in first, then leaves. Here are some ideas.

We have a bang up share for you this week. Post pictures of what you are making on our facebook group page! Others love ideas and recipes. I also post other ideas and info. Thank you!

We will be having the option of oysters and clams again next week, so if you are getting a share with meat in it, and need to OPT OUT and get the ALTERNATE MEAT (I do not know what it will be), send me your OPT OUT email with no oysters clams in your subject. If you want them, do NOTHING – you will get 2 dozen each oysters and clams, or the quart of shucks (email if you want the shucks). If you want more, or a la carte oysters, clams by the dozen, or pints or quarts of shucks, please order via your dashboard under MEATS – Oysters Clams a la carte. NEED ORDERS BY WED next week. thank you.

Happy eating. Suzi

Veg share so far, subject to changes:

Swiss chard – Swiss chard is delicious, versatile, and don’t forget to pickle the stems. It is hearty enough to stand in for pasta, say in a lasagna. The stems take longer to cook than leaves, so I usually put stems in first, then leaves. Here are some ideas.

Baby spinach – put on pizza with the ramps. or make a salad.

Green onions – these guys may get overshadowed by the ramps this week, but put them in your salad with bibb lettuce, baby spinach and strawberries and they will shine.

Ramps – boy we love these, and we have a family tradition of getting them every year. Ive posted some ramp info on our FB group. Don’t be intimidated by them. Treat them like you would garlic or onions, only better, and you’ll be ok. Here’s a great video on how to find, clean and pickle them. They are forest foraged, so still have soil on them. Clean them well, dirt can hide in them, like leeks. Use the leaves to make pesto, or chimmichurri. If you aren’t going to get to them for a bit, cut off your leaves, and keep them in a bag in your fridge. I have actually had them stay in the fridge for a month or so. They are great in biscuits, which we included below. Put on pizza.

Strawberries – I posted info on how to freeze them to use later in the season in smoothies. You can also make fruit leather, dehydrate for snacks, or jam. Here is the boss small batch strawberry balsamic jam recipe I posted in the group that I made for Mother’s Day gifts last year. I cooked it in the slow cooker. this makes only 4 half pints, so refridgerate, eat on the biscuits, or give away. No need to process. But if you want to process, I used a saucepan, and a veggie steamer and it worked great. I used this on baked brie at mom’s for Easter.

Golden biscuit mix from Wade’s Mill for strawberry shortcake and ramp biscuits. to make ramp biscuits: thinly slice the bulb and add it right in. Or you can use only the leaves. You can caramelize the bulbs in a little butter first. Cook as usual. Wade’s Mill is a circa 1750 water grist mill and we love their products. You will see them on the menu at fine restaurants.

Meat
Oysters and clams – how to shuck an oyster with Chef Pete at Merroir. How to prepare them raw 0 use your ramps, or green onions! Grill them. Here’s a few other methods of cooking like roasting, and steaming. Here’s how to steam clams. Here’s the Ultlimate Pasta with Clams – perfect if you still have your pasta from the other week! Make oyster shooters. You can use sake, tequila, vodka etc. Look them up. You’ll be in heaven.
If you opted out, looks like a picnic grill special:
Polyface hot dogs
ground beef
bison summer sausage – make a plate with the cheese from your share. You can add in sliced radishes, and make a delicious sauce with a spoon of our lovely jam with some stone ground mustard. You can slice it and add it to your salad. Or put it on the pizza!!!!

In reply to Betty Saxman. Hi Betty -- I am so sorry that I am just seeing your message now. We have weekly pickup at our CSA Market, and BW at the Surreywood drop on Midlothian turnpike behind Fresh to Frozen. Let me know if I can help you more -- our email for the […]